Savory’s X1 26-1 in reply

THE Guyana Harpy Eagles began the preparations for this year’s Regional First-Class season with a day/night four-day game last night on a slow Providence track and lightning-fast outfield.
Yesterday, under a blue sky in sweltering heat, Tagenarine Chanderpaul’s X1 elected to bat and was watched by nine fans in the Green stand.
Chanderpaul’s X1 fell for 230 with Kevlon Anderson getting 69 and Jonathan Van Lange making 41 not out.
Thaddeus Lovell had 5-45.

In response, Kemol Savory’s X1 reached 26-1 by the close last night.
The 28-year-old left-handed Chanderpaul got going with a glorious cover-driven boundary off teenager Isiah Thorne before the genuinely fast Thorne left the field after 4.2 over suffering from cramp.
Chanderpaul pulled Thaddeus Lovell for four in his first over before slapping Demetri Cameron for another boundary past extra cover.

Fellow left-hander Sachin Singh (4) was at slip as he fiddled at one that left him off the bowling of left-arm fast bowler Chris Harry at 14-1 before Ushardeva Balgobin (10) retired hurt nursing cramps at 27-1.
Chanderpaul, who has a double hundred and three fifties from 10 Tests but has been off the boil recently, swivelled Lovell for four and looked well set despite not finding the gaps as he would have liked.

After spending 76 minutes at the crease and facing 56 balls in his 24 with four boundaries, Chanderpaul was ‘squared up’ by a full-length delivery that plucked out his off-stump at 43-2.
Kevlon Anderson and Adrian Sukwah (2) brought up the 50 in 15.3 overs before Lovell bowled a short ball which got big on Sukwah, who top-edged a hook and spooned a catch to the bowler to leave the score on 58-3; Lovell celebrated his second wicket.

Yearwood, one of four left-handers among the first six batters, got off the mark with an exquisite boundary past cover off Lovell from his first ball.
Anderson caressed Cameron for four past cover, edged him to third man for four before elegantly on-driving him for a the third boundary in the over.

The pair carried the score to 77-3 at the first break with Yearwood on nine and Anderson on 22.

When play resumed, Anderson continued to play well and soon reached his fifty but was removed by Lovell for 69 (10 fours) after facing 147 and batting for 163 minutes.
Yearwood was then removed by Thorne for 30 with five fours and a six after adding 61 for the fourth wicket with Anderson.

Teenage Jonathan Van Lange clobbered a robust unbeaten 41 with eight fours from 48 balls before Lovell polished off the tail to end with 5-45.
Ashmead Nedd (2-22) and Thorne (2-44) were the other successful bowlers for Kemol Savory’s X1, who reached 26-1 at stumps.

After Nial Smith removed Raymond Perez (6), Matthew Nandu (6) and Zynul Ramsammy (5) were the not-out batters at the end of the day.
Day two begins at 14:00 hours today.

Guyana faces Barbados Pride in the first round, which will be contested at Providence from January 29.